Darkest Powers
by Native23
Summary: Crystal thinks she’s hallucinating. She’s seen them since seventh grade, one little mistake and she’s sent to a place called Lyle? She’s confused and it gets worse once she meets the others, especially a big, socially inept guy named Derek.


**Disclaimer: I do not own the Darkest Powers Trilogy. Hence FANfiction. **

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**I'm Not Crazy**

"Yes Mrs. Filmer. I'm going now." I said to the old woman as I walked down the stairs, her clacking footsteps right behind me.

"I don't need another call from your school telling me you were late again. Is it so hard for you to get to class on time?" She snarled with a scowl on her wrinkled face.

I stopped at the door to glare at her. "That was not my fault. I saw a kid and he needed my help. I told you that already."

"There's always someone who needs help Crystal. You need to come up with another story, this one is getting old." She huffed putting her chubby hands on her hips.

"I'm not making up a story. These people ask for my help and then they're gone. They just disappear." I said looking down at my feet. We've had this conversation at least once a week since I started seventh grade.

"We will discuss this when you get back. I need to get the other kids off." Mrs. Filmer really didn't like me. I've just always been here. We've sort of come to an understanding. In order to live with one another I don't be a smart ass and she stays off my back, but not being smart with her was a hard task.

"Yes ma'am." I said giving her a mock salute before marching out the front door.

I walked down the steps of the orphanage and stepped onto the sidewalk. I took in a deep breath and started my journey to the school.

I was a few blocks from my school when a small girl stepped out from an alleyway. She had large brown eyes, curly brown hair, and looked about five or six years old.

She looked up and saw me looking at her. "Can you see me?" She asked.

My eyebrows scrunched together. "Um, yeah? You need something?"

Her big brown eyes lit up. "You can see me! Everyone else just walks by, like they can't even see me."

"Well I do, but I need to get going. If I don't I will get in big trouble. Why don't you go and find your mom." I suggested starting my walk again.

When I got to the school I walked straight to my locker to grab the books I'd need.

"Hey!" A voiced yelled from beside me.

I jumped about a foot in the air before turning and seeing my best friend, Camryn. "You about gave me a damn heart attack!" I glared.

"You're too jumpy." She stated with a shrug. "Why you late?" She asked leaning against the locker next to mine.

"No reason." I said closing my locker. I looked up to her and she had on her 'I know there's more' face. "What?"

"She sighed and pushed off the locker to stand next to me. "Something happened again."

She knows of my little problem. We've known each other since the sixth grade and she's seen the unexplainable things that have happened to me, ever since the seventh grade. I see people, well everyone sees people, but the people I see no one else can, and they're always asking for my help. I also seem to have an anger problem, but nowadays which teenager doesn't. But I'm slightly different, when I get mad, things start to fly and I don't even touch them. It's confusing and complicated, but I've learned to live with it, trying to hide it from everyone, well, except for Cam.

"I just saw another kid." I said when we were walking to our first period classes.

She stopped in the middle of the hall and turned to me. "Another one?" She screeched and I pulled her to the side and nodded. "That's the third one this week." I gave her a little shrug and she sighed. "I still think that you should get some sort of help Chris."

"I can't afford it and you know it." I said.

"I will pay for it. And if my parents knew what was going on they'd be happy to help." She pulled me to her side and wrapped her arm around my shoulder, trying to comfort me, even though I think she was the one who needed it.

The thing is, I know that she'd pay for anything I needed, her family's filthy rich. I just didn't want to know what was wrong with me, I've heard of schizophrenia, and let's just say, I really, really didn't want to be schizo. They walk around tripping out because they see and hear things, I didn't want to be like that. The way I'm heading though, it wasn't going to be long.

"Hey Chris?" I looked up to Camryn with a confused look. "You okay?" She asked concern showing in her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about that math test. I'm so going to fail." I grumbled. There we go, that a way to get Cam going, she loved math.

At lunch I walked into the cafeteria and went straight to our regular table. I don't normally ear all that much at lunch, I just pick at Cam's tray. She doesn't like that I don't eat that much though.

A minute passed before the once empty table was filled with all our friends. "Hey Chris. How's your morning been?" Tyler asked taking the seat on my right.

I smiled over at him. "Good." I used to have the biggest crush on Tyler in sixth and seventh grade. He's been a jock for as long as I can remember. He played football, basketball, and soccer, and was really good. He had dark brown hair, light brown eyes, tan skin, and was tall. Well everyone was taller than me, but he was tall compared to others too.

He flashed me a smile showing off his perfect teeth. "That's good. How do you think you did on that test?"

I groaned and dropped my head to the table.

He chuckled and I felt him put his hand on my lower back, it gave me goose bumps. "That bad huh?"

I knew I was blushing and kept my face against the cool table. 'Tyler, what'd you do?" Camryn asked taking the empty seat on my left.

His hand left my back. "Nothing, she just thinks she failed the math test." I looked up and saw he had both hands in the air as if he were surrendering to the police.

I turned to Cam and she was looking at me with a scowl. "How many times do I have to tell you that I would help you?" She sounds like a mother.

"A lot." I mumbled. "But do you honestly think I'm going to spend my free time away from the orphanage doing math? If so, you're delusional." I told her smiling.

"Well you need to. Do you want to take ninth grade math over again?" She asked with her perfectly plucked eyebrow raised. I shook my head. "Didn't think so."

"Hey, lay off Cam." Tyler said patting my back. Oh, did I forget to mention that Tyler is Camryn's twin brother. No? Must have slipped my mind.

They look a lot alike too. When I told Cam I had a crush on her brother, she laughed in my face, thought it was the funniest thing in the world. But I've gotten older, more mature, and am so over it. Okay, maybe I still like him a little, but it doesn't matter. He'd never think of me that way and I'm perfectly content with having him as one of my best friends.

"Hey Chris? You with us?" He asked waving a hand in front of my face. I looked from Cam to him and nodded. "Lost you there for a minute." He laughed.

I looked over to Cam and saw she was giving me a look. She must be thinking I was thinking about the kid from this morning, which I wasn't, until now. Damn.

"Hey man, Ty. You catch that game last night?" A boy, Jake, one of Tyler's fellow jocks, asked from across the table. And there goes Tyler.

Sighing I leaned back in my chair and started thinking about this morning. The little girl, she said no one else could see her. Why would my hallucinations come up with that? Maybe I wasn't hallucinating, maybe, I was seeing… Ghosts? That's crazy thinking now. Even if I did see ghosts, which I don't, how would that explain the throwing things without touching them? My head hurts.

"Chris? Chris. Crystal." I looked up and saw Camryn was the only one still at our table.

"Yeah?" I asked looking around and seeing the cafeteria was nearly empty.

"The warning bell rang. We need to get to class." I nodded and stood from the table. We were at my locker before she spoke again. "You were thinking about this morning weren't you?"

"No." I lied, grabbing my notebook. My next class was English. One of the only classes I was remotely good in.

"You're lying. This is how you get whenever you see another person." She said looking a little upset. I think she was just getting frustrated with me. You need to see someone." She said firmly.

"What do you want me to do Cam? Go to the doctor and tell him that I can see and hear things. And then be all, 'Oh yeah, and I can also throw things without even touching them. Isn't that cool doc?' No thank you. I don't feel like being tossed in the loony bin." I said slamming my locker and facing her.

Her eyes were starting to tear up. She's always been a little sensitive and is a really nice person. I think I went a little far. "I'm just worried about you Chris." She whispered.

I sighed and hugged her around her waist. I'm short okay. Five foot and one half inch versus her five foot six frame. "I know Cam. I'm sorry. Tell you what, I'll see someone tomorrow. After school."

She pulled away and wiped at her eyes. "Thank you."

I nodded and looked around. "Yeah. You better get going. You'll be late for Phys Ed. I don't think Coach Boon will like that very much."

Smiling she nodded and turned around heading for the gym. I was watching her walk around the corner when the late bell rang. "Shit." I cursed and booked it for the English classroom.

School was finally over and I stepped out of the front doors and took a deep breath of toxic induced air. Gotta love New York.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" I heard a voice say from behind me. I turned around and saw Tyler in his soccer uniform.

"Home?" I questioned confused.

"Did you forget?" He asked walking closer to me. I didn't say anything and he raised an eyebrow.

"If I were to forget this something, which I didn't, what exactly would I be forgetting again?" I asked with a sheepish smile.

He shook his head and chuckled. "You forgot." He wasn't asking, he was stating. I slowly nodded my head in agreement. "You promised you would come to my next home soccer game." He reminded me. Oh yeah.

"Oh. I'm really sorry Ty, but I've got to get to the orphanage. Filmer was going to cuss me out after school." I told him.

"Come on please?" He begged. I shook my head. "It's not like she's not going to cuss you out tomorrow, or the next day. You can miss this one." I stopped and though about it, he was right.

"Okay." I gave in.

He grinned and grabbed my hand. "Great, now let's go. I'm going to be late and Boon's going to be pissed." I laughed, I said something like that earlier to his sister.

"GO TY GO!" I screamed as loud as I could with the rest of the crowd as Tyler was passed the ball and he ran down the field with it. He was almost to the goal. "Come on Ty!"

He kicked the ball and it soared into the corner of the net. The whole crown was cheering. I turned and high fived Camryn.

The game went on for another ten minutes and we whooped them. The ending score being seven to one.

Tyler went of with the other players and the coach so Boon could do his victory speech. The guys all high fived and cheered after he was done and then Tyler made his way over to us.

"You were awesome bro!" Camryn yelled before pulling her twin in for a big hug.

Tyler smiled and hugged her back. They pulled away and he looked to me waiting for a praising. "Eh, you were alright." I said like it was no big deal.

"Alright? I totally dominated out there!" He said pulling me under his arm before reaching over and pulling his sister under the other.

"Gross Ty, you're all sweaty." I complained pushing his side playfully.

"Am I now?" He asked before I saw him bringing his other arm from Cam to me. I took off into a run. I got about five yards before being caught around my stomach. He pulled me back into him and rubbed his head all around my neck. I laughed and tried to pull away, he just tightened his grip, it was no use. I mean come on, he's a jock.

"Okay love birds. We need to get home." Cam called from behind us.

I blushed and pried Tyler's arms off. "Aw… Cam, you always ruin the fun." He complained.

"Yeah, well we've got to get home and Chris has to go back to the orphanage."

I nodded. "Yeah, it's getting dark. I'm already in enough trouble as it is." I said when we started walking.

When we got to where we went separate ways Camryn pulled me into a hug. "Remember, you said you'd see someone." My throat closed up and I just nodded. I forgot all about that in the excitement of Ty's game. I was going to find out what my problem was, but I didn't want to know.

Tyler pushed Cam out of the way and hugged me lifting me off the ground. "See you tomorrow." I gave him a weak smile and he frowned.

I smiled and bigger and leaned in closer to him. I motioned for him to bring his ear down and he did ready for a juicy secret. "You really did dominate today Ty, just don't tell anyone. They'll think I'm going soft." I joked.

He smiled and stood back up. At least that helped get him off my back, wish I could do something so Cam wouldn't worry so much. I looked over at her and she was looking at me sadly.

"I knew I heard you yelling." Tyler said triumphantly. I smiled and nodded.

"Well, see you tomorrow." I waved and went the way that would lead me to the orphanage.

I was about four blocks from the orphanage when it started getting harder to see. It was kind of foggy and was dark, I looked around that the streets were almost deserted. I could picture this as the setting of a scary movie.

I kept walking when I saw a dark figure hiding around a corner. My steps slowed and I took my time getting to it. When I got there I saw that it was a woman.

"Um, excuse me miss. Are you looking for someone?" I asked.

She looked surprised and turned to me. "You can see me?" She asked. Oh no, not another one.

I shook my head and then realized how stupid it was of me to answer. I sped my pace up and kept walking.

"I know you can see me girl. Don't be rude. Stop walking away and listen to me." She was right behind me but I couldn't hear her footsteps.

"Stop ignoring me girl. You can't get away from me. I can just follow you." She said. None of my hallucinations have ever been this persistent.

"Girl, I know where you live." She said. I tried to ignore it but I could still hear her. She kept following and talking the whole way to the orphanage.

On the footsteps I turned around and faced her. "Stop!" I shouted firmly.

She cackled and I went inside. I sighed and walked into the dining room where I knew Mrs. Filmer would be.

She was standing there stacking plates. I leaned against the doorframe and watcher her for a second. "Come in here Crystal." She snapped.

I rolled my eyes but complied anyway. "Yes ma'am." I tried not to say it sarcastically but let's face it, I failed hopelessly.

"Don't you use that tone with me Crystal. Your school called, said you were late to your English class. Why?" She asked with a glare.

"I had something more important to take care of first." She didn't like that answer and glared harder. What? It was the truth, Cam was more important than school.

"Why didn't you come home straight from school? Out getting high? Stealing? Drinking?" She asked with a snarl.

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. "As if. Never done any of that. I was at a friend's soccer game. Promised I'd go."

She took a step towards me and put her hands on her round hips. "I am tired of your crap Crystal. I've taken it for five years. What happened, you used to be a sweet little girl?" She asked.

I opened my mouth to answer when the woman from the street walked through the walk and stood next to Mrs. Filmer. I took in a deep breath. Ignore it, it's just a hallucination.

I shrugged my shoulders and looked up into Mrs. Filmer's face. "I don't know Mrs. Filmer. Maybe, she grew up?" I suggested.

She took another step toward me and glared some more. I stood my ground and looked right on back, trying my hardest not to look at the woman behind her. "No, I think that she just turned into another punk kid with an authority problem. One, who's so selfish, doesn't think of the other kids, it's just all about her." She spat, by now she was in my face.

That stung a little, but I wasn't going to show it. That hurt quickly developed into anger and the woman from the street chuckled. "You know, she's right. You're just a selfish little kid. Won't even ask what I need. Tsk tsk. All I –"

"Shut up!" I yelled at the woman.

Mrs. Filmer's eyes widened and she looked at me. "Excuse me?"

I growled and glared at her. "Not you." Ah shit.

"Then what do you mean?" She asked looking around the room. However mine stayed planted on the damned woman from the street.

I sighed and started explaining my whole story to her, maybe she'd understand then. I told her how since the seventh grade I've been seeing and hearing things, and that was one of the reason's I was always late. By the time my story was done she looked like she was looking at a crazy person.

"I think that you need help Crystal." She said walking for the kitchen phone. My hallucination was cracking up at this point. "I'm going to call the hospital."

"No!" I yelled. The woman just laughed some more. "Shut up!" I yelled at her.

Mrs. Filmer reached the kitchen door when my anger went out of control. Next thing I know the neatly stacked plates from the table are soaring across the room at Mrs. Filmer.

"Watch out!" I screamed. The old woman turned around just in time to duck before she was hit. The plates flew into the door with a loud crash and the remaining pieces fell to the floor.

Her eyes widened again and she dashed into the kitchen. I ran after her with the cackling hallucination right on my tail. However when I got there she was already on the phone. "Yes. We're at Cale Orphanage. Thank you, please hurry." She spoke quickly into the phone before hanging up.

She placed the phone on the counter and turned to me with her hands in the air as if I were an armed robber. "Help is on the way Crystal. Just stay calm. These people will be able to help you."

The woman from the street laughed again. "See. If you would have only helped me in the first place none of this would have had to happen."

I ignored her and turned to Mrs. Filmer. I was kind of scared. What was going to happen? Was I really crazy? I couldn't be. "I'm not crazy." I whispered to myself.

She heard me and stepped closer hands still raised in the air. "Of course not dear." So now, when she thinks I'm crazy she decides to be nice. "Just come here." She held out her hand expecting me to grab it. She's delusional.

I looked at it and backed up. I could go to Camryn, she'd understand and help me. I just needed to get the hell out of here.

I turned around and stepped towards the door getting ready to run. I got two steps before a hand clamped down on my small wrist. "Don't move. They will be here and they can help you. They will know what to do. They will know what's wrong with you." Mrs. Filmer said calmly.

I pulled away from her and glared. "I don't want to know. There is nothing wrong with me." I said. She was frustrating me and I just wanted to get out of here. I try to tell her the truth, and what does she do? Freaks out and calls the hospital ready to admit me to the psych ward.

I heard sirens down the street and turned running for the door. I was at the door and the crazy woman from the street followed. She looked at me with a smirk. "I wouldn't go that way." She taunted in a sing song voice.

I shot her a glare. "Shut up. You don't know what you're talking about." I yanked open the door and took off.

I ran down the steps and when I hit the sidewalk a pair of arms reached out and pulled me towards their owner. I struggled against them but it didn't do any good.

"Calm down Ms. Williams. We're going to take very good care of you. We're here to help." A man's voice said in my ear. I continued to thrash around and try to get away. I looked up and saw people watching through their windows and a fairly good sized crowd had gathered on the sidewalk.

I kicked the man in the shin and he grunted. "She's not stopping. We are going to have to sedate her." He hissed in my ear. He sounds like he's getting tired. One more hard shove and I should be free. I paused for a second to get my bearings before going for the hit. I went to shove when a light sting went through my neck. The man sighed in relief. "There."

I waited another second and nothing happened. Okay? I shook my head and gave him another shove, that's when I felt it. My eye sight started to go blurry and my legs were giving out. I collapsed and the man caught me.

My head lulled to the side and the woman popped in front of my face with a sinister smile. "Told you not to go that way." Then everything went dark.

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**Author's Notes: I have recently just read the whole Darkest Powers series and fell in love with it. I know, no one really like's OCs but I love them and am writing how I would have the series go if my character, Crystal were with them. So, please review and let me know what you think of it. Thank you! **


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